Feedback & Reports

Blank. A couple of hours this morning looking at lower Monnow pools. Nothing seen or risen - a few late mayflies still around. However (reasons to be cheerful), although the level is still very low and the bottom covered with slime, that brown stain has gone from the water. And it's raining, so things can only get better!

Hard fishing, as expected on such a hot day. Banks very overgrown so access to the river tricky in places.

1 Grayling

1 x trout 10 inches, sundry baby chub at the surface, Parachute Adams. A hot and sultry evening, the Monnow still with that thick brown stain and - what rather spoiled the visit for me - a party of trespassing canoeists on their way down through the beat towards Monmouth just after I started. They refused to leave the river and splashed their way through every pool.

1 Trout

Difficult day very few fish rising. a lovely quiet beat Access is an issue here that people should be aware of I took my ageing uncle and he could not access a large proportion of the river. There is no sign of the "ladders" and "hand rails" mentioned in the description of the beat.

2 Trout

2 x trout 6 and 15 inches, Monnow Gosling. A cloudy evening after rain. I came down to spend a couple of hours watching one pool in the hope that the better trout would show before dusk. Although a few mayfly spinners were around, there seemed to be no activity from fish except for parr and baby chub in the shallow margins. The Monnow still has that thick brown stain and needs a good dose of rain to flush it out. However, trotting a dry fly just a few inches off the alder roots in the darkness under the trees produced an almost imperceptible swirl as one good fish sucked it down.

2 Trout

1 x trout 14 inches, Parachute Adams. I was taken aback when I saw the river this morning, as it was really thick brown - only about 10 inches visibility. Where does it come from, as there has not been rain in the catchment for quite a few days? A couple of days ago, higher up, there was also a brown stain in the water and of course a little colour can help the fishing, but not when it is as strong as this. I managed to find just the one fish nice which I saw rise on the shallows - and got it - but otherwise no activity at all. No fly and no rises, just brown water. I'm wondering if there is an algal problem, as sometimes with the main Wye? I left at lunchtime.

1 Trout

A well kept beat in lovely countryside - good directions and access including some mowed paths. In terms of fishable trout water it seemed quite limited; some of the lovely riffles and pools were unaccessible due to trees, high banks and/or deep water and there’s a lot of slower moving, long unproductive flats/runs.

Lots of fly life today, including a reasonable mayfly hatch however there was absolutely nothing rising all day. The river seemed very brown and gloomy! Eventually I reluctantly switched to a mayfly nymph and caught one fat 12” fish, safely returned, to save the day.

1 Trout

4 Trout, 2 Grayling

First time on this beat, caught the only trout I saw rise, a fish around 10" on a small dhe. The river was very coloured and the afternoon was hot, a few mayfly about but nothing rising, Some nice pools to fish and I would fish this beat again.

1 Trout

Another quick morning session , sadly just can not do this lovely stretch of river justice, trying to fit fishing in with a family break. Saw a couple of mayflies hatching off but was off the water by 1030,perhaps evening or later in the day would see more fly life and activity. I did get 2 rises to the large dry mayfly , I suspect small fish, but couldn’t connect. River was still chocolate brown, so not sure how hard that would make the fishing, I still enjoyed my crack at a river!